The Grenada sentinel., 1887-02-26
A BABY ORANG.
He Was So Knowing That He Never Had
ANY Name But the "Old Man."
Anna ". Pratt.

A BABY ORANG.
He Was So Knowing That He Never Had
Any Name But the "Old Man."
Mr. Hornaday, the chief taxidermist
of the National Museum at Washing
ton, who spent two years in the jungles
of India and Borneo, in the search for
specimens of natural history, gives a
most interesting account OF baby
orang-outang which he possessed. The
little fellow was about six months old
when he was brought to Mr.. Hornaday
by some natives, and was of mild and
gentle disposition, very different from
other young ones which fell into his
hands from time to time. and became
at once confiding, whining softly when
approached, and rolling up his big
brown eyes appealingly.
Judged by our standard of human
beauty" his owner says, "he was per-
haps as ugly as any healthy child could
be and live; but for all that, his home
illness was interesting; it seemed to
conform to a general plan of ugliness,
and nothing was lacking to make itper-
feet"
His eyes were large, bright, and full
of intelligence, and he had the forehead
of philosopher, and because of his
bald and shiny pate, his solemn,
wrinkled, melancholy visage, and an
air of profound gravity, he never had
any other name given him than "Old
Man"
His height was about % inches, his
spread of arms 344 inches, and his
weight 10! pounds With short, thick
body, his arms were so long and his
legs so short that by STOPPING forward
little his hands easily touched the
ground. In walking he always went
on all-fours, turning his toes under,
and placing the back of the fingers and
the ball of the thumb on the ground.
His gait was that of man going on
crutches, and he seemed quite out of
his element on the ground, but in
climbing, his feats were wonderful.
He very soon learned to climb up
his masters body, to get a banana,
placed on his shoulder, and soon be-
came fond of being held in bis arms;
and when Mr.. Hornaday was tired of
holding him, he grasped the folds of
his flannel shirt and hung on himself
quite different from human babies of
the same age Next to eating seven OF
! eight bananas as fast as he could, his
greatest delight seemed to be in lying
in his masters lap, sprawling out with
. legs and arms, and catching at every
thing within reach.
Sometimes at dinner he would sud-
denly seize roast fowl, and have his
teeth in it before he could be stopped
t like a spoiled child of three or foul
years. Sometimes he watched his mas.
ter eating, squatted on the topmost
. round of his chair, leaning forward
Q and resting his chin on his owner:
n shoulder For long time he woulC
k eat nothing but bananas and sugar
d cane, and Mr.. Hornaday was at hi
e wits ends to teach him to eat boiled
# rice, which was necessary in travelling
t when they could not be sure of fruit
e Finally, as he was watching over thu
> shoulder, one day, he began to oper
n his mouth every time he saw spoon
full of rice coming, but was not allowed
u to have it. Then he became very anx
1t ious for it, and little tantalizing Sc
l. him struggling to get it, and after tina
G there was no difficulty about the rice
e especially if mixed with a little milk
# Then he learned to eat cooked meats
e vegetables, canned fruit, bread and tt
T. drink tea and coffee-in fact, all hu
= man food-but was teetotaler, for h
never would drink wine, beer OF spirits
The "old man" soon grew fat, and al
so mischievous, playing all sorts G
tricks and antics, and pretending t
!, . bite his II aster's hand.
- Sometimes he would make the mos
:; :. comical faces, with his great, broad
10 lndia-rubber lips, by the half-hour to
= gether, with the most curious contor
% tons of the limbs. For some time h
~ slept with his master-not being oil
W jectionable, as he was very clean-but
is N as he got fat, he got into the habit {
II snoring and sneezing, so that he ha
y to be put in other quarters.
|, Whenever it began to rain, even
IL he was under roof, the baby oran
IL would invariably cover his head. an
W body with loose straw or clothing, an
~ " he never voluntarily went into an
u. water, and could never be induced eve
y to try to swim. Once, while Mr.. Horn,
IL day was in bathing, the "old man. $;
~ on the bank looking on, and when /
~ thought he was not noticed, gradual
climbeda a tree bey reach, and woui
not come down. Finally, some native
:" reached the tree above him, frightene
' him, and he came bouncing down int
his masters arms,